Everton have made contact to enquire about a deal to bring Juventus defender Federico Gatti to Goodison Park, according to reports.
What's the latest on Gatti to Everton?
Sean Dyche already has six centre-back options at his disposal, but Yerry Mina and loanee Conor Coady will both be out of contract at the end of the season, so replacements of some form will likely be needed in that department.
Italy international Gatti arrived at the Allianz Stadium back in January 2022, but has only made 15 appearances under Massimiliano Allegri and is significantly out of favour. Therefore, he could be looking for a move elsewhere during the upcoming window.
It had recently been reported that the Toffees and Premier League rivals West Ham United were both contemplating making an offer for the 24-year-old, who is valued at €30m (£26m) by Juventus, and it sounds like the Everton hierarchy have taken the next official step towards completing a deal.
According to Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), Everton have now “asked for information” on Gatti to discover his availability ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. However, Juventus have “no intention” of letting the centre-back leave as it stands, and it’s stated that it would take an “indecent proposal” to even make them consider a change of heart. The Old Lady would indeed require the aforementioned £26m to sanction his sale, but it’s claimed that the Merseyside outfit may only “offer around €10m”, which is a figure that they would be highly unlikely to sell for.
Should Everton splash the cash on Gatti?
Everton won’t yet know their summer budget as that’s all really dependent on whether they are able to maintain their Premier League status, but should they be able to afford him, Gatti has to be a player that they target to shore up the backline.
Standing at 6 foot 5, the defender clearly adds a strong physical presence to the heart of the defence and currently averages 3.4 clearances and 1.8 aerial wins per league game, as per WhoScored.
The Adidas-sponsored star can also be a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having posted 11 goal contributions (nine goals and two assists) in 108 career appearances which is an impressive return for a player that operates in his position. Meanwhile, with Champions League experience also under his belt, we think he would be the perfect fit to put pen to paper at Goodison Park.
